— AZERBAIJAN:

Under a defamation statute, a Baku court fined two newspapers which alleged President Haidar Aliev had helped organize the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in Turkey. Other papers face similar charges for implying that Aliev is in fact of Kurdish descent, and libel charges have been filed against a newspaper which said Aliev was ready to cut a deal with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Ministry of Justice has charged two opposition politicians with “insulting [the president’s] honor and dignity” and with slander for making similar statements.

“Russia’s Week” is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is written and edited by Harry Kopp (email: kopp@jamestown.org). If you would like information on subscribing to “Russia’s Week”, or have any comments, suggestions or questions, please contact us by e-mail at pubs@jamestown.org, by fax at 301-562-8021, or by postal mail at The Jamestown Foundation, 4516 43rd Street NW, Washington DC 20016. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution of “Russia’s Week” is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright (c) 1983-2002 The Jamestown Foundation